


Take a Light

by neveralarch



Category: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 03:58:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2837243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neveralarch/pseuds/neveralarch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Childermass and Vinculus meet a Lady at the crossroads.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take a Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kaesa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaesa/gifts).



> Happy yuletide, Kaesa! This is set a little after the end of the book, probably.

Never travel through crossroads after dark, especially not on the border of the Raven King's land. And if you must, don't travel without a light.

"What happened to the matches?" demanded Childermass. "Did you _eat_ them?"

"Can't eat matches." Vinculus sniffed, with the air of a man who is sharing a hard-won fact. "You should have bought more."

Childermass said nothing to this. He hadn't been able to afford many matches - reviving English magic was turning out to have high traveling and lodging costs, poorly balanced by low initial returns. Unable to complain and unable to produce matches from thin air, Childermass held out his hands and whispered a few words. Light bloomed around his fingertips.

If you are forced to travel through crossroads after dark, on the border of the Raven King's land, without a light, there is one thing you must absolutely avoid at any cost: doing magic.

There was a woman, tall and thin, standing not three feet in front of Childermass. The dim light played along her cheekbones, and she grinned. Her teeth were like knives, and her eyes were like marbles. "Well met," she said. "Well met, Book and Reader."

Vinculus stepped back. Childermass narrowed his eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"That's not very polite," said the woman. "I greeted you - won't you greet me?"

Childermass looked the woman up and down. Then he smirked and gave a slight bow, just an inch too shallow to be proper. "Well met," he said. "Well met, Lady Lurker."

"I don't like your tone," said Lady Lurker. "And how did you know my name?"

"Your reputation precedes you," said Childermass, a little too snidely to seem flattering. In truth he had been making fun of the Lady with a made-up name, and had simply guessed the Lady's name. He couldn't tell her that; Childermass had always tried to toe the line of disrespect without stepping over into blatant insolence.

Tonight it seemed that he had stumbled over the line after all, or the Lady was more sensitive than most. Her lips thinned, and she pointed one long finger at Childermass. "Rude," she said. "Rude, rude, rude. I take my leave of you, sir. I hope you won't speak to anyone else in that way."

She disappeared. Childermass waited for a moment and then stepped forward to where she had been standing, in case the Lady had merely hidden herself there. But she seemed to be gone altogether.

Good riddance, thought Childermass. He opened his mouth to say as much to Vinculus, but something made him swallow the words.

"I thought we would be eaten like those poor matches," said Vinculus, peering over Childermass' shoulder. "Good job getting rid of her."

Childermass grunted. Or, he tried to grunt. In reality he said "Thank you very much," with every appearance of sincere appreciation for Vinculus' praise.

Vinculus stared at him. "Are you all right?"

"Perfectly all right, thank you for asking," said Childermass, and then clamped his jaw. 

"You've been cursed," said Vinculus. "Haven't you?"

Childermass laughed, politely. "Only if one can be cursed with good manners, my dear sir." His eyes were wild and furious.

One can be cursed with good manners. It took Childermass weeks to break it, and in the meantime irreparable harm (or good, depending on your point of view) was done to his reputation. The people of Scunthorpe still remember John Childermass as a very nice man to this day, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Do not walk the crossroads after dark without a light. You never know what might happen.


End file.
